John Toney Witherspoon (Some records spell it Weatherspoon) was born 10 Mar 1925; died 7 Aug 1991, Santa Barbara, California. He was the son of Toney Witherspoon Sr. (born 4 Apr 1898; died August 1974 in Clifton, TN) and Madge Montague (born 1904). They were married in Wayne County on 25 Jul 1920. Toney Jr. and his siblings: Ray (born 9 Sep 1921; died 11 Dec 1996, Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan), Cecil (born 18 Dec 1923; died 12 Dec 1980, Ventura, California), Hardin Edward (born 28 Apr 1928; died 24 Oct 1986, Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan), Carlies (born 1931), Nettie June (born 1936), and Bobbie Jean (born 22 Aug 1937; died 3 Feb 2002, Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio) attended Rosenwald School in Clifton.
      Toney Jr. was found on the 1930 and 1940 Wayne County Census. His father Toney Sr. hailed from Waterloo, Lauderdale County, Alabama. He was the son of E. Lee (born 1974)and Mearly Witherspoon (born 1872). E. Lee was married to Mollie A. Austin on 26 Jun 1896 in Lauderdale County, Alabama and to Donie Johnson on 9 Oct 1930 in Wayne County, Tennessee. No record can be found to clarify if Mollie A. was actually Mearly. She was found on the 1910 and 1920 Waterloo, Lauderdale County, Alabama Censuses with the following children: Ridgeway (born 1901), Arch (born 1904), Lizzie (born 1906), Ella (born 1916), Olivia (born 1918), and Toney. Mealy also appeared on the 1940 Waterloo, Lauderdale County, Alabama Census with Arch, Ella, and Olivia.
      E. Lee commonly known as Lee was the son of Tonie Witherspoon (born 1850) and Sarah E. (born 1852). Their children were Benjamin (born 1873), Lee, and Bishop (born 1879). Tonie’s mother was Angeline. She, Tonie, and Sarah E. were born into slavery. Angeline was owned by Reverend James H. and Jane Witherspoon. This family was in the mercantile business, along with owning a cotton, grist, and saw mill. They made their fortune with 17 slaves on the 1850 Slave Census and 26 slaves on the 1860 Slave Census.
      On the 1870 Lauderdale County, Alabama Census Angeline lived in an all black community neighboring James H. and Jane Witherspoon. As was common in that era, she most likely took her owners last name. Her children were Mary (born 1846), Tonie, George (born 1866), Riley (born 1867) and Bailey (born 1870).